General Presentation and History

​Our 14 hectares of vines are situated at the named vineyard “Le Saut au Loup” at Ligré on the left bank of the Vienne, the river that flows through Chinon. Benefiting from a southern and south-eastern sun exposure, the contiguous vineyard grows on two soil types; argillaceous and siliceous hilltops and argillaceous limestone hillsides. After being owned for 5 generations by the DOZON family, the wine estate was taken over by Eric SANTIER in 2013.Average Annual Production: 550 HL – 50 000 to 60 000 bottles. 90% red wine, 8% rosé and 2% white.

The Vineyard

​Varietals and vine age : Cabernet Franc (97% of the area) and Chenin (3%). 12 ha are in full production (more than 70% of the vines are at least 35 years old), 1.3 ha of young plants (2012 and 2013 – Cabernet Franc and Chenin) and 0.8 ha of our AOC Chinon land is left fallow.

Terroirs : the entire vineyard is situated on a hilltop and on hillsides between 80m and 110m in altitude facing south and south-east on geological ground formed during the Upper Turonian and Senonian ages. There are argillaceous and siliceous soils as well as yellow tufa with some sandy and silty plots on the surface. The vineyard is sheltered by woods to the north and east.

Cultivation methods : sustainable winegrowing. Natural sodding between all rows with long term aims to gradually return to tilling the soil (mechanized weeding under the rows, disuse of herbicides, etc.). We practice low-input cultivation methods, such as reducing pesticides and reinforcing prophylactic measures (limiting nitrogenous input, debudding, leaf-thinning…).

Harvest :mechanical (grape harvester with on-board sorting system) and manual for reds and rosés. Only manual for whites.

The Wines

Clos du Saut au Loup : 40 years old vines on argillaceous and siliceous hillsides. Vinification and maturation (12 months) in vats. Harmonious and fruity, this wine shows melted tannins and is long in the mouth.

Le Grand Saut : Selection of the “halfway up to the hill” vines, on the mid-part of the Turonian. Sandy clay soil area, rich of micaceous chalk particles. Manual harvest. Vinification in conical oak vat and aged in barrels for 12 months.

Rosé

It is a 100% Cabernet Franc wine which is dry and lively. It results from mainly directly pressed juice and, depending on the vintage, is blended with a variable volume of “bled off” juice (between 10% and 30%).

White Wine

Saut au Loup : Our Chenin vines, planted on clay-with-flints, produce a dry white Chinon. Vinification takes place in wooden casks of 600 and 300 liters and the wine is matured on the lees for 6 to 9 months.